Congressional Democrats, industry group seek Biden administration boost in plastics treaty talks

Dueling letters reflect the tensions that have bogged down the U.N. negotiations set to be completed by year's end.

Democratic lawmakers and the American Chemistry Council sent dueling letters Friday urging the Biden administration to take up their plastics treaty priorities as international negotiations near a critical juncture.

What happened: The letters, written independently of each other, spell out the competing domestic policy pressures complicating U.S. efforts to help hammer out a U.N. treaty to address plastic pollution by the end of this year.

Democrats' letter: Senate and House members implored Secretary of State Antony Blinken to negotiate for the “strongest agreement possible,” including binding limits on plastic production — a policy supported by EU countries and other allies, but a red line for the ACC and countries including China, Russia and Saudi Arabia.

The letter, shared first with POLITICO and signed by Sens. Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.), Ed Markey (Mass.), Cory Booker (N.J.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Peter Welch (Vt.) along with more than a dozen House members led by Rep. Jared Huffman (Calif.), also urges U.S. negotiators to adopt rules that allow a majority-driven process “to protect ambition on a meaningful timeline” and keep a small group of countries from derailing the talks.

The lawmakers also said they would work in Congress to enact laws supporting a final treaty, which would likely need to be ratified by the Senate.

“While it would be a disappointment if the world’s biggest plastic producers do not initially sign onto an ambitious agreement, it would be an even greater failure to negotiate a final treaty that lacks ambition commensurate with the scope of the problem,” the lawmakers wrote. “The world can come together to address plastic production and pollution that will make significant strides in tackling this problem. A strong treaty will change markets and business models, and better enable implementing legislation in the U.S.”

ACC letter: Chris Jahn, president and CEO of the industry group that represents petrochemical giants including Dow and Exxon, wrote to President Joe Biden to explicitly reject the idea of proposing production caps and more heavy-handed restrictions. He also argues against limitations on recycling technologies, likely a nod to his group’s push to expand chemical recycling.

Jahn expressed support for a treaty that would have individual governments establish targets for reducing plastic waste and increasing recycling and recycled content. He also pushed for “mandated participation in a certified program” to prevent plastic pollution.

While condemning plastic pollution, Jahn said he wants to see a treaty that also recognizes plastics’ ability to “drive down greenhouse gas emissions,” improve the safety of medical care and deliver clean water.

“We encourage the U.S., through its statements at home and in the global negotiations, to steer the global community away from measures that will make U.S. manufacturers less competitive and/or jeopardize the many benefits plastics provide to the economy and the environment,” he wrote.

What’s next: Negotiators will gather in Ottawa next month for the fourth of five planned rounds of plastics treaty negotiations. Countries have set a goal of finalizing a treaty by the end of the year, a timeline that is facing long odds given the lack of progress made on key issues such as production limits, especially for single-use and problematic plastics and financing mechanisms.

By:  Jordan Wolman
Source: Politico Pro

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